


Wide open, in flight

by Myulalie



Series: Malec Server Wingo [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Wings, Fallen Angels, First Dates, First Kiss, Flirting, M/M, Malec Discord Server WINGO, Mystery, Slavery, Strangers to Lovers, Wings, Worldbuilding, sort of enemies to lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:40:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 12,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27346756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myulalie/pseuds/Myulalie
Summary: Wings are freedom, only when they are wide open in flight.On one’s back they are a heavy weight.— Marina TsvetaevaOnce upon a time, Children of the Nephilim protected the world from demons. Now, their wings are in shackles.Alec Lightwood knows little of the past, but when demons threaten to invade the world again, he cannot conceive the idea of justletting it happen.Unable to fly, and forced to train in secret, there is only little Alec can do, and few people he can trust.Enter Magnus Bane, who makes Alec feel like maybe, just maybe, shadowhunters could rise again and do what they were always meant to do: protect the world.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: Malec Server Wingo [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1841527
Comments: 239
Kudos: 130
Collections: Wingo Summer





	1. Wings as weapons

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a stubborn little thing and decided to fit all my wingo prompts into one single fic. Each chapter will be 500 words, one for each prompt. Get ready for too much world-building for one fic and daily updates, except when I get bingo (one full line), on which days I'll take a break :')
> 
> You can tweet me at **#myulalie**!
> 
> Here we go, chapter 1, first prompt!
> 
>   
> 

Sunlight peered through the tarnished stones at the base of the tower, dust dancing in the basement. They lived buried beneath a monolith, darkness trapped in the foundation of the tower.

“Our race defeated armies of demons.”

Hodge watched over them, the youth struggling under the weight of their wings in shackles.

“Adamas was not always our weakness. We shall learn to wield it and rise again.” 

The muscles on Alec’s back strained to work the outgrowth his wings spurted from. He struggled to move them properly, adamas capsules clasped onto the edge of his wings and weighing them down. 

Alec thickened the barely there, drained out of angelic magic, wings hanging from his shoulder blades. And spread them to his full wing span to swipe Jace’s legs from under him.

The blond ducked and his wings expanded too, as tall as him. Six pairs of wings batted Alec away and smacked Alec’s wings loudly. He tripped in his hast to get away from Jace and the blond bludgeoned him. Alec ended up on the ground, immediately pinned down. Jace grinned, wings flapping victoriously above them. 

The top was golden like his hair, with a layer of green underneath. Adamas gripped the edge of each pair, keeping them from carrying Jace into the sky. None of them could fly. 

Alec squirmed, his wings squashed painfully on the hard floor. They would end up covered in dirt again. Jace stepped away from him and offered his hand to help Alec to his feet.

“Again?” the blond asked.

Alec shook his head and turned to their instructor instead. Hodge looked pale, always had since Alec’s childhood. A thick scar cut through his long beaky nose, a werewolf scratch he survived from without contracting the disease. He tucked his wings in, tightly, the top layer black like his hair and blending to silver. 

Hodge nodded at Jace’s victory but did not gesture for them to start again. Another man had entered the room, ragged-looking with a stooped posture. His light brown wings, with a layer of turquoise, seemed heavy on his back after a day out driving rail-boards around Alicante.

“Good job boys,” the newcomer told them.

Luke adjusted his glasses on his nose before hurrying to Hodge’s side, whispering frantically. Alec exchanged a look with Jace, but his best friend shrugged the pair of wings on his neck. They tried to step closer to eavesdrop on the conversation but Hodge clapped his mouth shut upon spotting them. 

“We’re done for today,” he said. 

The older generation kept young people from shadowhunters affairs and the youth got more and more worked up about it, hoping to play their part in their community. They trained under Hodge’s tutelage every day, had done so for more than a decade now. They felt like they had to play their part for the community. 

Luke used to be the easiest to talk to, hanging out with the children because he did not have any of his own.


	2. Down feathers

Alec sighed, walking up the few steps leading to street level with Jace right on his heels. The ground was covered in down feathers, some emitting a dim glow of angelic magic still. They lost their shine eventually when they fell on the dirt floor, shadowhunters and wingless people stomping on them. 

A faerie landed heavily near Alec and sent the feathers flying all around, a cloud of dust and dirt. 

Alec glanced at the young man with colorful highlights in his dark hair. Wide butterfly wings fluttered behind him, the inside a blue so light it appeared white and the edge brown. With golden paint and six eye-like spots, the stranger looked tough. 

Jace sneered, but the shadowhunters backed off at first, thinking that the faerie was part of the Wild Hunt because of his mismatched eyes. The youg man’s gaze swept the street once, the left eye black and the right one silver.

People gasped at the sight of the stranger’s jersey, tied around his neck and waist and he nodded his angular face at the people around him. The smile playing on his slightly uneven mouth looked welcoming enough and supporters hurried to greet the member of the Unseelie Sports Team. 

“Oh, that’s Kieran. Isabelle said he’s cool,” Jace muttered.

Alec had never been to a game, like most shadowhunters, as they could not fly. He flapped his wings, definitely covered in dirt this time and stepped away from the slowly growing crowd. A flurry of colors descended from the sky as more winged people approached the player and fairy dust rained over the street, making Alec sneeze. 

“We should visit her for the weekend,” he suggested. 

Buildings towered above them, granite reflecting the setting sun as it started its slow descent and the Lightwood crest lit up briefly before shadows crept over the eroded carving. Alec wondered who lived in his family’s tower now. The Lightwoods had not stepped inside since Jonathan Shadowhunter chained his wings and Children of the Nephilim lost the ability to fly.

“Sure,” Jace agreed.

Each family lived in the basement of their old home, a tradition Alec’s sister had broken when she moved out to rent her own apartment on the outskirts of Alicante. Isabelle was a seamstress and worked with faeries to create the loose clothes Jace and Alec wore, tied around their necks and waists to make the most of the limited range of their wings. Hodge too, made clothes, although the tailor favored buttoned up shirts that went around the outgrowth on his back. 

Alec and Jace walked along flowerbeds, alpine flowers in shades of pastel. Alec smiled, fingers brushing along the petals as they made their way back to the Lightwood tower. 

He was proud of his work, had planted the flowers himself and arranged them for the flower beds to take pretty shapes such as ancient shadowhunter runes. He hoped winged people enjoyed it, because Alec would never see what the flowers looked like from above.


	3. Molting

Alec lost feathers everywhere he went. 

They fell from his wings, the ethereal glow of down feathers dying soon after they reached the floor. Adamas capsules weighed heavily on the edge of his wings, covering most of the black feathers at the top and some of the blue layer underneath too. The whole family had a black layer on their wings, the Lightwoods’ trademark pattern.

The basement of the Lightwood tower was cramped, even with Isabelle living on her own now. Alec squeezed inside at the best of his ability and picked up a broom to clean after him when too many feathers ended up on the floor, dim and soft looking.

“You’ll end up bald,” Max parroted Izzy.

Alec feigned swatting his brother with the broom and ignored his teasing. The light bulb hanging from the ceiling flickered and Max pulled a face in an attempt to look scary. Alec chuckled and ruffled his brother’s brown hair, moving past him. 

He reached up to grab clean plates from the cupboard and set the table. Maryse nodded, appreciative of the help while Robert herded Max towards the bathroom for a bath.

“Don’t get your wings wet!” the patriarch scolded when they heard water splash against the tub.

Maryse shook her head fondly and handed a spoon to Alec, waiting for his approval. He tasted the barbecue sauce and smiled brightly. Pulled pork was Alec’s favorite, and Maryse favored it because pork was cheaper, with larger quantities than the finest, more expensive small preys. 

The matriarch grinned and went back to the stove, getting everything ready as Robert came back in the kitchen. He sat down on a stool and stretched his wings.

“Max is right, you know. People your age aren’t supposed to molt that much,” Robert commented.

Alec winced. It was true, though. He molted more than his siblings, although not as much as his parents and Isabelle liked to tease him about. Sometimes their banter felt like a threat, an attempt to scare Alec and help him stop molting so much, before he ended up featherless. 

He did not reply and hurried to finish his plate, letting Max and Robert wash the dishes. Alec bid good night to his family and picked up his lost feathers on the way to his bed room. 

Alec hated the grooming room, with its four mirrors that reflected Alec’s grimace back to him. He felt uncomfortable on the roost, struggled to balance the six heavy appendages protruding from his back. So he picked at his feathers and picked up the ones that fell. 

He did not remember his shackling but the adamas capsules on his wings had always given him more trouble than everyone else.

When he stretched on his stomach, in a bed too small for his tall frame, six wings weighed heavily on him. Alec kicked the blanket away from him and curled uncomfortably on the hard mattress, trying to get some sleep before dawn. 

A long day awaited him.


	4. Everyone has wings

The next morning brought forth rays of sunlight and some rain, to Alec’s delight, and he tied a shirt around his neck and waist before hurrying outside. He greeted the other gardeners as he walked up to the flowerbed he was in charge of that day, waving a wing this way or that.

“Sebastian, hi,” another wave. “Hey, Aline!”

The shadowhunters waved back, adamas capsules weighing on their wings too. Alec nodded to his superior, and Eleanor shooed him away with her middle pair of wings, sending Alec towards the other end of the flowerbed.

The smell of wet earth welcomed him and he smiled at the diamond-like dew sparkling from the flowerbed. Colorful petals and green leaves shuddered with the chilly wind and dew slid down the fragile membrane like tears. Alec dug his hands in the dirt, working diligently.

Alpine flowers drifted lazily with every whim of the slowly warming breeze. Faeries fluttered above Alec, flying past on their way to the restaurants and sewing workshops Isabelle was familiar with. Their butterfly wings shined brightly in the morning sun, and sometimes he caught sight of moth wings instead, wondering what was the difference between them. Both had fore wings, strong and iridescent, and hind wings covered with flower ornaments.

Everyone had wings, except for werewolves but sometimes, Alec felt like they were better off without wings rather than chained wings like him. Vampires did not have wings like faeries and warlocks did, but they could turn into bats and that was enough to fly up the towers of Alicante. 

Alec could not say the same. 

He sighed, deep in thought as he planted another pure white flower among others. A shadow hovered near, purple wings flapping above the flowerbed. A man landed behind Alec and the shadowhunter shot up, only to bow, wings dropping, at the sight of his boss.

“Mr Fade, sir.”

Malcolm Fade was the Master of Travels. Like the three other remaining warlocks in Idris, he was in charge of one essential element in Alicante. Fade not only ruled over public transports, he also cared for the general landscape of the city. 

Warlocks had only one pair of wings, with strong bones and a flexible membrane they pierced with jewelry. Malcolm himself had flower shaped piercings, reminiscent of faerie culture.

“Good job, keep going,” the warlock said, flicking his wings a few times.

Alec got back to work in a hurry. The rail-board network growled and hissed in the distance, traveling across Alicante and Alec glanced up when a board rolled past the flower bed, waving when he caught sight of Jace driving one. 

Winged people and some werewolves held onto the horizontal handrail in the middle of the board, waiting to get to their destination. The rail-board network came in handy for people who didn’t have wings, and even those who did when they had a long distance to fly, or so Alec had heard. Air traffic could get pretty hectic in the morning.


	5. Unusual wings

Week days were mostly the same for Alec. He worked on the flowerbeds, his hands in the dirt and his mind at ease. There wasn’t much to do apart from gardening, stuck on the ground like he was, and at night he hid underground with Jace to train. 

One day Nephilims would rise again and fight.

In the meantime, the sun hung high in the sky, the towers looming over them, and Alec bent over a flowerbed. 

Then, there was the rail-board accident. It flew off the track and tipped over, sending the passengers tumbling to the ground. A mess of fairy dust and feathers, and among the winged people: Luke.

The shadowhunter stood proud, foreign gold and silver feathers weaved in his own, and stared right ahead. Alec, stunned, followed the shadowhunter’s gaze and caught sight of a young man with unusual looking wings.

Alec dismissed it instantly to run up to the rail-board and try to help the shadowhunters struggling to get up with their wings in shackles. Alec could not care less for the faeries, who talked their days away in the Seelie Court, and spent their nights dancing on top of the towers.

Luke, however, launched himself onto the young man. The impact sent black feathers flying all around, and only then did Alec notice that the stranger had only one pair of bird-like wings.

Impossible.

The police force was on Luke in mere moments. The shadowhunter went down with the weight of a werewolf on his back, and Alec repressed a scream of horror. The vampire brigade would have been better, a mouthful of blood less dangerous than a werewolf bite.

“Luke! No,” Alec rushed forward in an attempt to throw the wolf off Luke.

He was winded by a kick to the chest. Alec stumbled back with the strength of the blow, watching, powerless, as the wolves dragged Luke away from the young man. They disappeared underground to lock him up in a cell.

Malcolm Fade landed next to Alec a moment later. The Master of Travels' purple wings sent a cloud of fairy dust and down feathers flying, and Alec ducked his head, covered in dirt. Fortunately, Malcolm did not care for him, striding towards the young man, shielding the stranger with his wings.

“Simon,” he scolded. “I told you not to leave the Blackthorn tower.”

Up close, Alec could see the details of the black feathers along Simon’s wings. He inched closer, not believing his eyes. Bird-like, monochrome wings on the stranger’s back, small compared to Malcolm’s and still growing.

A warlock. 

Malcolm grabbed Simon’s arm and flew off before Alec could ask what it all meant. After the Nephilims banished demons away from this realm, warlocks were almost disseminated before Jonathan Shadowhunter fell from grace and condemned his race to live in shackles. 

If a warlock had come to be since then... Demons had found a way back to their realm, and mundanes had no one to protect them from demons.


	6. Wing removal

Luke’s punishment took place that night. 

Alec followed his parents to the bottom of the Morgenstern tower, where the Seelie Queen held court. A star shone in an unnatural light high up there, the magically preserved crest carved in granite. A portal shimmered against the wall, the only way up for werewolves as they dragged Luke to his trial.

Shadowhunters knew what the penalty for attacking winged people was.

The werewolf brigade came out of the portal, Luke in tow. His wings hung low, adamas capsules weighing heavily on his back. He barely resisted when they forced him to his knees and pinned his three pairs of wings to the ground. Faeries gathered all around, hovering in the air to watch justice rendered. 

A man turned into a werewolf, and bit the nape of Luke’s neck.

Alec closed his eyes as Luke’s scream echoed against the towers and reverberated across Alicante. He picked at his down feathers to ignore the painful screams, the smooth texture doing little to appease his racing heart.

Even if Luke survived from the wound itself, he might turn into a werewolf and lose his wings. It was the only mercy the Seelie Queen allowed. 

Be it a werewolf or a vampire bite, each offender had one chance: somehow not turning.

It didn’t happen often. Maryse tugged on Alec’s arm, forcing him to let go of the wing he was plucking, and dragged him away while Robert joined Valentine to carry Luke away from the Seelie Court.

“I did it for you,” Luke muttered at Valentine’s intention, before screaming in pain again.

“Don’t listen to them,” Maryse told him.

They walked down the stairs leading to the basement of the Lightwood tower and Maryse guided Alec onto one of the roosts. Alec lowered his eyes, unable to stare at his reflection in the mirror as his mother did her best to groom his wings and even out the area he had been plucking.

“Hodge tried to interfere with your shackling, you know,” she whispered. “That’s why a werewolf scratched him, but he survived. Didn’t even turn.”

“His face,” Alec gasped.

Maryse nodded slowly. Alec looked up from the dirty feathers on the ground, glancing at his mother. She looked tired suddenly, black and blue wings drooping as she let out a long suffering sigh.

“Our ancestors made mistakes Alec. We have to do better than them now.”

He frowned, not seeing where she was going with this. Robert had sent Alec to train with Hodge as soon as Alec was able to hold a blade. Jace waited all day to spare in the evening, and today, after witnessing Luke pay for a crime while nobody cared about the appearance of a new warlock, Alec was supposed to… to do what, exactly?

“Regaining our freedom is not the same thing as declaring war on downworlders again,” Maryse whispered.

It clicked then. Luke’s last words to Valentine, and the secret meetings Alec and Jace were not part of.


	7. Wings as a shield

Alec dreamed of Hodge that night. What struck him the most was how light his wings felt on his back. Unshackled, something he had long forgotten, but that night, he remembered. How the three pairs of wings would carry Alec’s younger self above the ground, just enough to hover in the air, falling back on his feet with a carefree laugh.

The towers looked even higher from his younger self’s point of view, but the ground was already covered in down feathers. Alec’s wings barely felt real, perhaps because he struggled to remember them free of adamas capsules. 

It might have been how true Nephilim wings had always been too, otherworldly.

Children were brought to the hospital on their fifth birthday, as soon as the wings were functional. The Master of Healing performed the shackling, locking up the wings in adamas capsules to nullify the angelic powers of shadowhunters.

Alec drowned in the memories again, drifting away to scenes from a childhood Alec barely remembered. School was short lived for shadowhunters, and they learned more doing manual labor than they did in cage-like fences to keep winged children from flying away. Shadowhunters had no choice in staying, and did not get a say when they left after graduating.

A younger version of Hodge threw himself on Alec, covering the child’s body with his six wings. Alec fell to the ground with a cry, and everything went black as Hodge shielded Alec with his wings. The lack of light made the silver layer of feathers disappear, and Alec struggled to breathe with the crushing weight of the man trying to protect him.

“No,” came Hodge’s scream, piercing through Alec’s memories.

Alec’s wings flickered out of sight, snuffed out like the flickering flame of a candle. 

He did not remember anymore than that.

Alec woke up wondering if werewolves had dragged Hodge away like they did with Luke on that day, or if it had been vampires instead. Either way, his wings were now in shackles. Whatever Valentine was up to, in his attempt to regain their freedom… It seemed to have failed, again and again.

The bedroom was dark, silent in the dead of night. Alec shifted to his side, leaving his wings to hang off the uncomfortably hard mattress. It would drag him down to the ground, eventually, but he couldn’t sleep yet, so it did not matter. 

He missed Izzy in moments like those. He could not talk to Max like he talked to Isabelle, even less their parents. Max was too young, too innocent. Alec wished the boy would not even start his training with Hodge.

Isabelle was better off away from Valentine’s machinations. She was fierce and did not back down easily. Alec knew she would get in trouble trying to do what she thought was right. Be it facing Valentine or working for him, Alec could not bear the thought of the police force dragging his own sister away from him like they did with Luke.


	8. Wings-friendly infrastructure

Jace knocked on the Lightwoods’ door early the next morning. Alec dragged himself out of bed, as he had not slept much that night. He walked up the door, tying a shirt around his neck and waist and joined his best friend outside, afraid of the news Jace carried with him.

“Luke has a fever and the full moon is tonight. He’ll probably turn,” the blond admitted.

Jace did not meet Alec’s eyes and maybe it was for the best, as Alec rubbed the back of his hand against his suddenly wet cheeks. It was dark still, sunlight peering at them over the horizon.

“Izzy could help him find a nice place to live in on the outskirts,” he muttered.

“I thought maybe,” Jace’s breath caught in his throat. “Maybe you could work as a rail-board operator with me.”

Alec took the time to think about it, even though he already knew his answer. He had seen the young man with unusual wings, and more than that, Malcolm probably knew that Alec had noticed them.

Maybe it was for the best, if Alec were to take some distance from the Master of Travels. Surely Alec would not attract any unwanted attention to himself if he drove people around all day. He nodded slowly, and followed Jace to the railway station.

The rail-boards were simple enough to operate, and Alec only had to register, automatically quitting his initial gardening job with the magic inherent to the paperwork. It reminded him of the young warlock Luke had attacked, and his mother’s words last night.

More than going to war, Alec wanted to protect mundanes from a demon invasion. It was the purpose of Nephilims, after all.

Alec and Jace drove the rail-boards to Lake Lyn for their first outing. It was an easy ride across the Imperishable Fields, and Alec smiled at the sight of cattle grazing in the lush green fields.

The rail-board was mostly empty, as winged people tended to fly over the stretch of plain, with an overnight break on the shore. It was more comfortable for everyone, and the ride home after spending the weekend at Lake Lyn brought back a lot more winged people.

Alec stared at the lake upon getting there, impressed. He had never left Alicante before.

More intriguing than the water though, were the accommodations. Alec followed Jace to the edge of the forest surrounding the lake, looking around. Hammocks swung lightly with the breeze as winged people settled for the night. 

Alec shuffled for a while in his. He folded his wings a few times, as he kept getting pins and needles, not used to sleeping on his side with his shackled wings hanging out of the net. It was more comfortable though, relieving him from the suffocating weight of adamas capsules for the night.

The last thing he saw was the shape of a man, wings arched up above him like moon crescents, before diving in the lake for a midnight dip.


	9. Scaly wings

Alec watched the faeries diving in and out of Lake Lyn. It was a fascinating process, as their wings were covered in colorful scales making up the pattern faeries liked to enhance so much. Beautiful and fragile, surprisingly strong too as they carried grown men and women with ease.

The Seelie Sports Team trained over the lake too, and a woman with lady bird wings caught Alec’s attention more than the others. The pattern of black dots on her red wings was the only thing that stood out on her. She did not paint her wings, nor did she adorn them with flowers. Unusual, but practical.

He enjoyed watching her loop in the sky in her training for whatever discipline she had mastered, before diving in the water. Wet, her wings didn’t release clouds of fairy dust to send Alec in a fit of coughing. He was grateful for the respite, and grimaced when the blonde faerie came out with her wings crumpled and wrinkled in places.

She sat down on the shore, straightening them carefully and another member of the Seelie Sports Team joined her a moment later. The woman had wasp wings adorned with red flowers, and the hourglass figure that went with it. Both faeries looked alike, and Alec assumed they were from the same family, as the women worked on the wings together.

“You’d think one of them stole a pair of wings to replace hers, since they don’t match,” Jace mumbled next to Alec.

“Jace!” Alec gasped, shocked.

“You know, this insult could cost you greatly, shadowhunter,” a stranger cut in.

Alec glanced at the man who had just spoken, stunned at the sight of golden wings on the warlock’s back, ring piercings along the edge of the dragon-like wings. The membrane in between the strong bones was taut with annoyance and at the junction of each part of the wings, black nail polish shone on the claws. 

Alec hoped Jace would not try his luck to call the warlock’s wings featherless, because these claws could gut the blond. Reminding a warlock of their demonic parentage was never a good idea, especially not when shadowhunters had fallen from grace too.

“But it’s true,” Jace argued. “They do wings transplants don’t they?”

“And your kind doesn’t, shadowhunter, so you better take example on pretty boy over there and keep that mouth shut.”

Alec cowered, holding his six wings tight around him. The warlock's slit-pupils focused on him, cat-like eyes circled with kohl, and glitter on his eyelids like specks of gold in his long eyelashes. He was beautiful.

“Alright,” Jace rolled his eyes.”Which master are you anyway?”

“Magnus Bane, Master of Wards,” the warlock provided. “Who are you?”

He stared at Alec when he said it, but Jace was quicker to reply. “Jace Heronda-”

“Not you,” Magnus waved him off.

“Alec,” came Alec’s reply, like a squeak.

“Well Alec, it was nice meeting you,” Magnus batted his wings playfully. “Better get those rail-boards ready now.”


	10. Matching wings

Alec did not get the chance to go home and rest upon coming back from Lake Lyn. Hodge was waiting for Jace and him at the railway station, and Alec paled, immediately thinking of Luke. Alec ran up to his mentor, and blinked away his tears at the reminder of the nightmares that plagued him since he had learned about Hodge’s interference with his shackling.

“Is everything alright?”

“Nothing to worry about,” Hodge replied, beaming. “It’s time, come with me.”

Jace glanced at Alec behind Hodge’s back and flicked his wings in question, but Alec had little to tell him. They followed Hodge through the down feathers covered streets as night fell on Alicante and the towers turned into terrifying shadows, except for the lights flashing at the top. The faeries were celebrating again, although Isabelle had never been able to tell Alec exactly what the parties were about.

They walked down the steps leading to the basement of the Morgenstern tower. It was mainly the same as the Lightwoods’ humble abode, but Alec gasped at the sight that awaited them in the kitchen. 

Valentine was a formidable man, but this was not what caught Alec’s attention. The adamas capsules on the edge of Valentine’s wings did not hold onto the wings themselves. It was obvious the weight bothered him still, but the ethereal glow of his gold and silver feathers was bright and next to him, his wife looked mundane, still in shackles.

Jocelyn’s feathers were like a splash of blood along the edge, dark red like her hair. The second layer, a beautiful lilac she shared with her son Sebastian, whose wings were still in shackles too. Clarissa looked the most different, with a lighter red like her hair on top of her wings, followed by a layer of green like her eyes. Alec blinked and glanced at Jace, who stared at Clary in awe.

“You know what they say about matching wings,” the blond drawled.

“Hitting on strangers is rude, you know,” Clary replied evenly. 

“Especially in front of our parents,” Sebastian added.

Alec knew him vaguely from his work as the gardener, but they had never been close like Alec was with Jace. Hodge, who had taken a seat at the kitchen table, always paired Alec up with Jace when training. He stared at them from the stool he sat on now, intent and proud.

“There are more important matters at hand,” Alec cut in, reminded of the situation they were in.

“Indeed,” Valentine agreed. “I assume you have questions.”

“How come,” Alec swallowed. “Your wings?”

“How did you free them?” Jace clarified, stepping forward in his excitement.

The blonde flapped his wings and almost knocked a fruit bowl off the table. Clary slapped him with her wings and the clatter of adamas capsules crashing against each other brought Alec’s attention back to Valentine’s partially freed wings.

“There is a legend,” Valentine started. “About shadowhunters whose wings have somehow been unshackled. Will Herondale and Jem Carstairs.”


	11. Intangible wings

Alec stared at Valentine. He did not care much for men he had never met, or even heard of, when Valentine stood in front of him with his wings partially free. Intangible wings, not entirely there, that glowed brightly in the dimly lit kitchen.

“Somehow, Will and Jem managed to free their wings and disappeared overnight a century ago,” Valentine eventually explained. “Since I was a child, all I have ever wanted to know is how and I think I finally do.”

Jace listened intently, obviously interested in one of his ancestors' fate, and Alec spied an admiring smile on Hodge’s face. Jocelyn took a hold of her husband’s hand, wrapping her tied top tighter around her with the other.

“They were parabatai,” Valentine revealed.

Alec stared at him blankly, “What are parabatai?”

“Pairs of strong Nephilim warriors, bound together by an oath, they share a soul.”

There was reverence in Valentine’s voice, and Alec folded his wings tightly around him, feeling particularly exposed. Jace’s wings, however, were twitching madly with excitement. Hodge beamed, and gestured impatiently for Valentine to continue.

“Luke and I were parabatai,” Valentine explained.

He extended all of his six wings carefully and pointed at brown and turquoise feathers tangled among his own. Alec held his breath, recognizing Luke’s feathers instantly. They had lost their shine, especially among Valentine’s now too bright feathers and Alec exhaled slowly.

“Alec, Jace,” Valentine called out. “You have trained all your lives for this day, and out of all the younger shadowhunters, only you two are compatible enough to become parabatai. If I am right, our entire race could be freed. This is your duty.”

“You two are perfect,” Hodge added.

Jace puffed up his chest and his wings curled up above his head in a display of pride. Alec folded his own wings tighter around him, thinking back on his mother’s words. This was not going to war… yet. Parabatai were warriors, and Luke had attacked this warlock child. A warlock that could only have been born from a demon, Alec reminded himself. 

Nephilim were meant to fight demons, and parabatai could do it better than most.

When Alec met Jace’s eyes, he saw nothing but trust in his best friend’s gaze. They could do it, together. Alec turned towards Valentine and nodded decisively, flapping his wings once.

“Let’s do this.”

“Splendid!”

“We need to wait for Ragnor Fell to stop watching us,” Jocelyn reminded her husband.

“That warlock won’t leave me alone since the adamas capsules released my wings,” Valentine agreed with his wife. 

“I don’t know why he bothers, they’re not fully functional yet,” Hodge commented.

“We’ll perform the ceremony as soon as possible,” Valentine grinned.

Clary looked at Jace in awe, and the blond preened, fluffing up his gold and green wings. She ducked her head, hiding her face with her red hair, but batted her red and green wings in reply. Alec looked away from their flirting, and found Sebastian glancing at him with envy.


	12. Wings as an umbrella

Magnus walked up the narrow fire escape leading up to the small building Luke Graymark had moved in, on the outskirts of Alicante. There were overhead passages that forced Magnus to tuck his wings in. The area was less wings-friendly, since only werewolves and some vampires lived there.

The newly turned werewolf insisted on being called Garroway, seemingly convinced he was a disgrace to his race. It did not sit well with Magnus, who was close friends with Maia, and had seen the current leader of the police force blossom into a strong Alpha, eventually accepting the wolf side of her.

A drizzle followed him, and he shivered when Camille breezed past him, annoyed with the rain. She had insisted on visiting Luke with him, even though the werewolf was not under her jurisdiction anymore. She ruled over the underground prison that most winged people referred to as the Silent City since none of them had access to it due to the impractical tunnels.

“I am tired of this weather,” she sighed.

Magnus rolled his eyes. Camille’s sole purpose was to annoy him, he knew. She had yet to accept their breakup, and a century ago Magnus would have scrambled to offer the vampire his wings as cover. No other warlock had ever agreed to use their wings as an umbrella.

He used to do it out of affection, but the gesture had always been a way for Camille to assert her dominance. Camille was beautiful and radiant, wearing elegant mundane clothing Magnus did not have access to because of the dragon-like wings on his back. Magnus’ golden wings twitched and he did not grace Camille with a reply, eager to get this over with. He was cold, and in need of a bath.

“Luke Garroway,” he called instead, knocking on the door. “We have a few questions to ask you.”

The door opened abruptly and a ragged-looking man wearing glasses appeared. Luke looked worse for wear, his posture stooped and he stared tiredly at the warlock and the vampire in front of his flat. Rain ran down Magnus’ face and he snapped his fingers impatiently to make sure the water would not ruin his makeup.

“Ask away,” Luke told them tiredly.

“What is the nature of your relationship with Valentine Morgenstern?” Magnus asked without preamble.

Luke stilled. He looked anywhere but at Magnus, turquoise eyes darting past him and to Camille. Luke did not meet her eyes either, and gave a nonchalant shrug, too deliberate to be anything but calculated.

“Childhood friends.”

“Have you heard from him recently?” Camille insisted.

“I’ve been busy turning repeatedly into a werewolf these last few days, with the full moon.”

Camille snorted and turned around, obviously done with the conversation already. Magnus was not, this was his investigation and he had every intention to uncover what Valentine was hiding. Something was up with the shadowhunters, and Magnus would find out what. 

Luke had already shut the door, however, and Magnus was completely drenched.


	13. Types of wings

Magnus sighed, looking around, and caught sight of the shadowhunter he had met over the weekend. Alec, Magnus remembered, and smiled. Now this seemed to be a shadowhunter with manners. Not like his friend, who was not here, Magnus noted, squinting to see through the rain.

“Magnus!” Camille called impatiently, but he ignored her.

Alec was on the other side of the street, talking to a woman. They looked alike, with dark hair and the top part of their wings black, but where Alec had a layer of blue, she had a layer of green. Magnus knew members of the same family often had matching wings, and shadowhunters joked about the individuals being soulmates otherwise.

He shook the thought away, as Magnus’ golden wings had nothing in common with Alec’s. Magnus crouched, angling his wings to take off, and glided across the street to land next to Alec and his sister. 

The shadowhunters glanced at him, wide-eyed with his sudden apparition, or maybe the fact that Magnus had to get on all fours to take full advantage of his wings. 

Nephilim had always looked down on warlocks and faeries for that reason after all, eventually calling them downworlders. Jonathan Shadowhunter’s armies had not been the most pleasant, and Magnus remembered when Nephilim had fallen from grace, nearly wiping the entire warlock population out at the same time. He could not let this happen again.

“Magnus,” Alec scrambled to say. “Izzy this is the Master of Wards. Magnus, this is my sister Isabelle.”

Magnus forgot about a long gone past and smiled at the flustered shadowhunter, “Glad to see you again, pretty boy.”

Isabelle hid a giggle and offered her hand to shake, surprising Magnus, “Nice to meet you, and happy to see you’re wearing the clothes I made.”

Magnus glanced at his button-up shirt, grinning. It was good quality, Isabelle must be working in one of the high-ends sewing workshops. He noticed Alec staring too and beamed at the shadowhunter, jumping at the opportunity to strike up a conversation.

“Have you ever seen the clothes that your sister makes?”

“No.”

“He’s not very interested in fashion,” Isabelle added with a sigh.

“We must do something about it, your work shouldn’t go unnoticed my dear!” Magnus exclaimed. “Alec, meet me at The Guard tomorrow, we’ll grab lunch and have a look around.”

Alec turned a lovely shade of red and stuttered, but eventually nodded when Isabelle nudged him. Magnus winked at her in thanks, and rolled his eyes when Camille called out his name again.

“I must go. I look forward to our date, Alec.”

Alec gaped at Magnus, and no words came out of his mouth as he stared at the warlock. Magnus preened, flapping his wings enticingly, and took off without waiting for an answer. He had a date to get ready for.

“Magnus!” Camille shrieked again.

He caught sight of her down in the streets, covering from the rain under an overhead passage, and flew back without her.


	14. Dirty wings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! This is the first bingo of the wingo fic! You can follow the evolution of the bingo card on [my tumblr](https://myulalie.tumblr.com/tagged/malec-server-wingo). I'll take tomorrow off to celebrate, and update the story on Tuesday. Take care everyone, and thank you for keeping up with this story ♥

Magnus slipped when he landed on the catwalk that ran around the Lightwood tower, wings flapping to stay upright. Then he found his balance, holding onto the sliding panel that made up the loft’s front door, and pushed it open to walk in.

The main room was wide and unobstructed, the lounging area of the loft comfortable with flat sofas to lie on all around. Magnus padded across, following the slight tilt of the floor to jump down into the lower level.

Magnus made a bee-line for the bathtub, filling it with warm water while he unbuttoned the shirt from around his wings. They had lost their golden shine with the downpour outside, and the nail polish on the claws was chipped. Magnus sighed, rolling his shoulders and took off his jewelry next, unclasping bronze and silver piercing from the membrane of his wings.

He slipped inside the burning, sandalwood scented hot water with a sigh, happy to soak in the bathtub with his wings hanging out. It took too long to dry otherwise, and Magnus intended to scrub off the excess skin anyway. 

He took great care and pride in his golden wings, even more so than Malcolm Fade who tended to follow faerie fashion. Catarina was simply too busy at the hospital to bother with anything more than basic care and Ragnor would never admit to such superficial worries like grooming and preening.

Magnus removed the left-over nail polish on his claws before snapping his fingers to summon a nail file. He worked on his claws meticulously, humming to himself as he did so, and wondered about Valentine’s sudden disappearance. The man had taken a position of leadership early on in his youth, and Luke’s devotion to the other shadowhunter only furthered Magnus’ suspicions.

What he struggled to understand, however, was the reason Luke had lashed out. Why create a railway accident and put shadowhunters in danger as well as faeries? The Seelie Queen ruled over Idris since Jonathan Shadowhunter’s fall from grace and faeries vastly outnumbered shadowhunters.

Magnus was missing something, he knew it.

The warlock sighed, reapplying black nail polish on his claws, and rubbed a lotion onto the rest of his wings to keep them smooth, relaxing even more. Baths and grooming were always soothing to him, and Magnus had a date to look forward too. Alec reminded him of Will and Jem, shadowhunters who had left Magnus with a good impression.

He rose from the tub reluctantly, wrapping a towel around his waist, and moved in front of the three-way mirror to take a closer look at his golden wings. The dragon-like wings were strong and flexible, shining again and Magnus put his piercings back on, lost in thought.

“What could shadowhunters want?”

Revenge, certainly, no matter that their ancestors had brought their fate on themselves by repeatedly slaughtering downworlders. They probably wanted to free their wings too, and regain the social standing that was now the Seelie Queen’s and the four surviving warlocks’.


	15. Plucking

Alec huddled in his room, wings wrapped tightly around his tall frame to pick at the down feathers under the layer of blue. The floor was already covered in them, and he would not be able to pick them all up when cleaning later. He would find feathers under his bed for days, but Alec could not help plucking his feathers.

He had a date with Magnus Bane.

The warlock was gorgeous, and of a certain social standing. Alec grabbed another white feather, covering the golden, ethereal glow of the down feather with trembling fingers. He did not mean to tear it off, but as he kept fiddling with the slightly warm feather in an attempt to calm down, it came off.

Alec winced, not so much with pain than with shame. His wings were in a deplorable state and he had ruined all of Maryse’s hard work to smooth the feathers out the previous week. Alec’s wings fluffed up at the thought, a good thing since he had no intention of letting go of the too hot and torn, oddly comforting feathers.

Magnus should not want anything to do with Alec yet, they were supposed to meet in… little less than half an hour. Alec jumped off his bed and ran outside, sending the feathers flying. He strode up the streets of Alicante, six wings fluttering behind him and almost turned back at the sight of the hill, just off center of the city.

Alec was not dressed for The Guard. Stone pillars held a roof over the market place, and winged people hurried between the stalls. They took off sometimes to land on the roof instead, where tables and stools let anyone enjoy a cup of healthy faerie beverages.

The shadowhunter trudged forward, wondering what Magnus wanted to do with him. Alec could not fly up the marketplace, nor could he climb up a tower. The warlock had nothing in common with Alec, except centuries of resentment for when Jonathan Shadowhunter’s armies turned against warlocks after chasing demons out of the realm.

Alec reached for the wing attached to his waist, fingers curling around a handful of feathers, and nearly ripped them off when someone called his name. Magnus came out of the crowd, golden wings shining like the sun, and waved Alec over with a grin.

“Alec! Glad you could make it. I’ve been wondering. Is Alec short for Alexander?”

“Yeah.”

Magnus peered at him through his mascara, cat-like pupils glowing with genuine glee. There were streaks of purple in his dark quiff and he shone in places with specks of glitter peppered on his skin, left on display by his tied top. Alec knew that compared to the warlock, he looked forgettable, except for his untidy wings.

“Shall we?” Magnus batted his wings playfully, almost brushing against Alec’s.

The shadowhunter shivered, unable to shake off the feeling of hard yet soft wings against his. He stared after Magnus instead, startling when the warlock glanced at him.


	16. Grooming and preening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's prompt is also my second full line on the bingo card, but I messed up on my updating schedule and didn't take it into account :') So I'll just post tomorrow's prompt as usual, that's less waiting for you and more posting for me ♥

The market was busy with passer-by and faeries flying off to deliver orders to the towers. Alec’s family never had the chance to order take out, as they could not afford going to the restaurant, and would not be able to fly there anyway.

Isabelle has sneaked into the Seelie Court through the portal once, and told Max about the rabbits and other small prey they offered to their guests. The finest meals were vegetarian because the Seelie Queen herself had chosen not to eat meat.

“Are you hungry?” Magnus asked.

The warlock pointed at skewers of mice and rats, and Alec shook his head, “I can’t afford it.”

“Nonsense, this is a date.”

Magnus turned towards the vendor and bought a skewer of mice, smiling encouragingly at Alec. It smelled extremely good and Alec gave in, accepting the food to take a bite. Various herbs gave the meat flavor, seasoned and smoked, that Alec enjoyed and a moan escaped him as he swallowed.

“See, it would have been a shame to miss out on this!”

The warlock flicked his wing, nudging Alec playfully, and spun on his feet to resume walking. A shiver rippled along Alec’s wings and he hurried after Magnus, making a quick work of the mice.

Colorful fabric shimmered all around and Magnus pointed out a few that probably came out of the sewing workshop Isabelle worked at. Alec took it all in, impressed, and even caught sight of the clothes from Hodge’s tailor shop too.

“Do you wear jewelry?” Magnus asked him as they neared another stand.

“Can’t,” Alec replied slowly, glancing at said jewelry.

Piercings shone in velvet boxes, as well as some pendants that Alec had ever seen before. He reached out to touch one that looked like two elaborate letters, “p” and “m” maybe. It felt familiar to Alec, somehow.

Wing jewelry was not something taken lightly. While most winged people wore it, it was not a common gift. If winged people did not let just anyone touch their feathers, they only accepted jewelry from their significant other, often as a courting gift. Alec frowned at the thought and glanced at Magnus, who locked eyes with him.

“Are they heavy?” Alec blurted out, nodding at the piercings on Magnus’ wings.

“Not really,” the warlock shrugged. “This one is pretty,” he added, pointing at the pendant.

“The capsules are heavy,” Alec mumbled and stepped away from the stand.

There it was, the fundamental difference between Magnus and him. The warlock did not reply, but he held Alec’s gaze without wavering and stepped closer as winged people pushed past them.

“I’ll ask Catarina if there is any way to make them more comfortable.”

Alec gaped at Magnus and found nothing to reply. Catarina Loss was the head of the hospital in Alicante, in charge of shadowhunters’ shackling when they turned five. Alec’s mother worked there as a nurse and she helped chain the children’s wings, reluctantly. 

Changing the capsules would impact their entire society.


	17. Flirting with wings

Dating Magnus Bane took up most of Alec’s time. When he was not driving railboards around Alicante, Alec met up with Magnus at the market, further exploring the stands. This time, they went to the night market and Alec stared in awe as The Guard lit up, granite pillars shining in the dark.

“It’s beautiful,” he breathed out.

“Indeed,” Magnus replied, looking at Alec instead.

Alec flapped his wings in delighted embarrassment, and a soft ripple went down the black and blue feathers, disappearing in the ethereal glow of his down feathers. He could not help but preen a little, because he was not molting as much as usual and his six wings looked pretty, even with the weight of adamas capsules on them.

Magnus extended one of his wings behind Alec, guiding him towards the market and they strolled between the various stands. Alec glanced at some faeries carrying steaming cups of tea, and gaped when he caught sight of a familiar pair of lady bird wings. The blonde woman landed next to none other than a shadowhunter with black and red feathers. The faerie offered a cup of tea to her companion, smiling sweetly.

Alec knew Aline from work and his training with Hodge. The woman looked nothing like he remembered. Both wearing dresses tied around their necks and waists, they held hands as they looked at jewelry. It was a stand Alec knew well, from his first visit with Magnus and some subsequent, more curious than anything else, excursions.

“Would you like something to drink?” Magnus asked, drawing Alec out of his contemplation.

The shadowhunter looked at the take away cups around them, and shook his head. Alec did not want Magnus to fly off to grab something for them.

“I’d much rather spend time with you,” he told the warlock.

Magnus preened, jewelry glinting in the light and extended his wings again to guide Alec away from the crowd. They stepped on the edge of the hill, looking down on Alicante for a brief moment. The buildings towered over them still and Alec struggled to find the Lightwood crest among the many towers.

The snap of fingers caught his attention, and when Alec turned around he came face to face with swirling blue magic. A portal, he realized, and glanced at Magnus for confirmation. The warlock offered his hand, palm up, to Alec and his rings gleamed in the light of the moon.

“Take my hand,” Magnus told him.

Alec hesitated before placing his hand in Magnus, and followed as the warlock tugged him through the portal. Vertigo seized him for the briefest moment and suddenly, they were on the roof of The Guard. Alec looked around in awe, at the stools and tables making up the terrace of the food court.

“This is incredible. You’re incredible,” Alec turned towards Magnus.

“Why, thanks. You’re not too bad yourself.”

Alec’s six wings fluffed up in a delighted shiver. He ducked his head, shy about flirting with Magnus.


	18. Wing games

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay back on track with the bingo card, today is another full line, and so will be all the updates from now on which means I'll be updating once every two days. I like schedules, they make me feel peaceful like I don't have to worry about anything ;) Anyway thank you so much for keeping up with _wide open, in flight_ and enjoy the last 6 chapters ♥

Valentine was still under surveillance and Alec had yet to perform the parabatai ceremony with Jace. He did not mind, not when Magnus took him to a game on their next date. 

There were two Sports Teams, the Seelie and the Unseelie. Alec took Magnus’ offered hand to step through a portal and gasped when they reappeared on the roof of one of the towers. It was so high that the streets were barely visible through the clouds drifting past the granite buildings.

“I think I like it better with my feet on the ground,” Alec muttered.

He did not let go of Magnus’ hand and refused to move too close to the edge. The warlock indulged him, and their wings brushed as they watched the Sports Teams face off in various disciplines. Alec struggled to follow, partly because he did not know the rules, and mostly because Magnus’ wing against his felt like the most intimate caress.

Competitors raced each other, sometimes in straight lines, sometimes weaving between the towers. It was cold up there, and Alec shuffled closer to Magnus in an attempt to shelter from the humidity gathered in the clouds, his six wings tucked tightly around himself.

“Can I place a warming spell on you darling?” Magnus asked.

They were so close Alec could feel the warlock’s breath against his ear. He nodded, and suddenly the cold disappeared, replaced with comfortable warmth as though Alec was standing in the sun. He squeezed Magnus’ hand gratefully.

An obstacle course started above the city and Alec watched as faeries flashed past the tower. It looked like a relay and he recognized Kieran’s blue butterfly wings, as well as the faerie with lady bird wings whose jersey read Helen.

“Which one is your favorite?” Alec turned to Magnus.

“Oh, none of them. I just like the debacle when the Unseelie Sports Team wins and the Seelie Queen pretends not to be offended.”

Alec chuckled and found an interest in ball games, although the rules appeared unclear to him by the time the Seelie Sports Team was declared winner. Magnus grinned, clapping politely and nudged Alec with his golden wing.

“Well, good thing we’re on the Blackthorn tower, Malcolm will be celebrating. For some reason the Seelie Queen never approved of my parties, but Malcolm’s is in her good books.”

Magnus snapped his fingers and a portal appeared, sparks of silver mingling with the blue magic. Alec grinned, familiar with the portals by now and noticed he had never let go of Magnus’ hand as they walked through the portal.

They reappeared in a wide, unobstructed room with comfy looking sofas all around. Faeries mingled, holding up home-made beverages that smelled foul to Alec, but Magnus sipped with a smile. Maybe this was what faeries celebrated most nights after their wing games.

Alec stuck close to Magnus, intimidated with the fairy dust lingering in the air, and suddenly realized coming to Malcolm’s home might not have been a good move.


	19. Touching wings

Magnus led the way across the room and Alec followed reluctantly. There was no leaving without the warlock’s assistance, but Alec’s wings were more cumbersome than most and the adamas caspules stood out among the butterfly and moth wings.

He stilled upon catching sight of the Seelie Queen, her wings those of a skipper butterfly. The orange wings looked like a moth’s, and she kissed a warlock with green skin and wings on the cheek.

“I knew something was up between her and Ragnor,” Magnus mumbled.

He dragged Alec into a corner and away from prying eyes, cat-eyes wide with worry. Alec tucked his wings in as much as possible and avoided the warlock’s gaze. The shadowhunter felt out of place.

“Do you want to leave?” Magnus asked straight away.

“I don’t want to keep you away from the party.”

Magnus moved even further away from the crowd in reply, and Alec stepped right into the empty space at the edge of the room. He fell on the lower level, dragging Magnus with him and they rolled on the floor in a heap of feathers.

“Are you okay?” Alec hurried to check on the warlock.

The room was dimly lit and Magnus threw his head back with a laugh, wings flapping happily. Alec shivered, only now noticing how close they were. The wings on the shadowhunter’s shoulder blades laid on top of Magnus’ dragon-like wings and the pair near Alec’s neck had cushioned the warlock head in their fall.

“I’m fine,” the warlock chuckled.

Alec scrambled to his feet. Magnus stood up as well, giggling still and reached out to grab Alec’s waist, moving close again. Alec blinked, glancing at Magnus and shivered as their wings brushed, a full-on caress unlike the brief contacts they had experienced so far. Alec leaned in, eager to feel more of the soft golden wings, and suddenly Magnus’ lips were on his.

The kiss was short lived.

The lights came on the moment their lips met, and Alec froze when he caught sight of Simon’s black, feathers covered wings. Magnus snapped his fingers and magic caught the young man, freezing him in place.

“A new warlock?” Magnus whispered in disbelief.

Alec felt some sort of relief in the knowledge that Magnus had not known about Simon, then he realized what it meant. If even the Master of Wards was not aware of the demons’ return…

“I should really listen to Malcolm,” Simon muttered.

“Malcolm knows about this? Of course Malcolm knows about this, we’re in his tower!” 

Magnus snapped his fingers upon coming to this conclusion, and the party above came to an abrupt stop. Alec shifted anxiously, eager to be anywhere else but there, and the warlock wrapped one golden wing around him in a surprising display of protectiveness.

“I won’t let anything happen to you. You have done nothing wrong, Fade however...” Magnus growled.

As if summoned, Malcolm came down, quickly followed by the Seelie Queen and Ragnor Fell.

“What’s going on?”


	20. Born with wings

Magnus fiddled with a sphere of magic in his free hand, the other spread protectively in front of Alexander. With the shadowhunter wrapped in his wing, Magnus was confident in his ability to keep Alec safe, but he did not drop his guard.

“Care to explain?” he asked Malcolm.

The Master of Travels glanced between the Seelie Queen, Ragnor and Magnus. While Ragnor did not look threatening, he taught in the Accord Hall for a reason and Magnus knew he could rely on his friend if things went wrong. Ragnor would put his precious tweed shirts on the line if it came down to it. As for the Seelie Queen…

“A warlock, how peculiar. How did he come to life?” she mused.

Her overlapping, fiery yellowish wings twitched with interest and the golden paintings on the parallel, moth-like wings attested of her rank. With the intricate circlet that looked like thorns on her long scarlet hair, and her pointed ears, there was no denying her title of queen. Malcolm had always answered to her, craving the Seelie Queen’s approval, and he caved in once again.

“Simon is the result of my experiment to save our species. I mixed mundane and warlock blood, and he was born.”

Magnus squinted, taking in the young man’s flat nose and feathers covered wings. Simon’s dark hair seemed to hide another warlock mark on his forehead, but the Seelie Queen had little interest in such details.

“Is that all?”

“I also created a hybrid of warlock and shadowhunter blood, your Highness.”

Ragnor gasped and Magnus tightened his hold on Alec, who made himself as small as possible. Magnus could hardly blame the shadowhunter, and tried to think of any Children of the Nephilim that had gone missing in the past centuries.

“We already know shadowhunters can procreate with faeries Malcolm,” the Seelie Queen chastised. Andrew Blackthorn’s and Nerissa’s children Helen and Mark are proof of that. Why want a hybrid of warlock and shadowhunter blood?”

She was harsh, but she was also right. Malcolm lowered his head, not meeting the Queen’s eyes. Magnus thought back on Malcolm’s partner, trying to recall… Malcolm had loved a shadowhunter, a woman.

“I was in love, and wanted Annabel to bear my children.”

“What happened?” Ragnor cut in.

“She died giving birth to the hybrid.”

“Where is the hybrid now?” Magnus asked, frowning.

“Tessa fell in love with two shadowhunters. They disappeared overnight, a century ago.”

“Jem and Will,” Alec breathed out. “So there are no demons.”

Only Magnus heard him, and he decided against attracting attention to Alec. Magnus stared at Ragnor’s green wings, and willed him to take over for now. Magnus was eager to get Alec safely away before the Seelie Queen condemned him to a fate similar to Luke’s simply for being at the wrong place, at the wrong time.

“You can’t experiment anymore,” Ragnor started. “Not for your own gain, at least.”

“The hybrid, Simon, shall become your apprentice, Ragnor,” the Seelie Queen ruled.


	21. Wing patterns

Magnus and Alec reappeared in a living room similar to the one they had just left. Alec let out a sigh of relief, wings sagging and sat down on a comfortable sofa, fiddling with a sparkly quilt as Magnus moved about.

“Where...?”

“The Lightwood tower,” the warlock replied distractedly.

Alec froze and looked at the slightly tilted floor beneath his feet. This used to be his family’s property. Magnus noticed Alec’s discomfort and turned around, frowning. He stepped closer, golden wings fluttering restlessly behind him and Alec tucked his own shackled wings closer to his body.

“I’m a Lightwood,” he blurted out.

Magnus stopped, stunned, before speaking up again, “Do you know anything about Luke?”

The warlock looked frantic, as though the discovery of Malcolm’s experiment had shed a new light on some mystery Magnus had been trying to solve. Alec recoiled, having no intention to forward information about his friends and family if it put them in danger.

“Is that why you’re dating me? For intel? I knew someone like you would never have looked at me twice,” Alec muttered instead.

“What? No!”

Magnus hurried to his side and went down to one knee in order to meet Alec’s eyes. The warlock’s golden wings came up around Alec and the strong bones made him feel unfairly safe. The additional weight was comforting, and Magnus’ next words appeased Alec somewhat.

“I think you’re alright for a shadowhunter. Will and Jem were like you, no wonder this Tessa fell in love with them.”

“Some shadowhunters think Will and Jem found a way to free their wings and disappeared,” Alec shared, carefully.

“How? I asked Catarina about the capsules and there isn’t much to do. They’re specially tailored for shadowhunters and there is no way to remove them.”

Alec winced, suddenly more aware of his own shackled wings, a dull ache he had grown used to. He could not tell Magnus about the parabatai bond, it was too dangerous, but now that Alec thought about it… Tessa had been a downworlder, and so was Luke now. Maybe it was not the parabatai bond itself, but shadowhunters’ bonds with downworlders.

If the Master of Healing could not remove the adamas capsules…

Alec stared at Magnus in disbelief. He cared for the warlock, truly. Would that mean? Alec had to be sure that, _this_ , was the pattern leading to freed wings. The only other person whom Alec knew had a close bond with a downworlder was Aline.

“I need to go,” he scrambled to his feet, nearly knocking Magnus over in the process.

Who cared about parabatai bonds if there were no demons to fight, and the key to shadowhunter’s freedom was love, and acceptance? How ironic would that be, something only Jonathan Shadowhunter himself could have set up.

“Alexander, wait!”

Alec stilled, and glanced at Magnus. The warlock stared after him, bright-eyed and pleading, his dragon-like, golden wings stretching towards Alec. Magnus sighed and his wings dropped, but he opened a portal nonetheless.


	22. Sudden wings

Surprisingly, Alec found Aline Penhallow in the basement of the Blackthorn tower. Not only Aline, but also her parents were huddled there to help Eleanor Blackthorn care for her five children. Alec knew Eleanor from his work as a gardener, and nodded respectfully as he took a seat at the kitchen table.

“How come?”

“Valentine is not the only one looking for a way to free our race,” Jia Penhallowen started.

Like her daughter, she had black wings with a second layer of red. Alec had met her briefly at the railway station, as she worked there and he perked up at her words, intrigued. 

“Andrew freed his wings decades ago when he fell in love with a faerie. Helen and Mark were born from this union, and now play sports for the faeries’ enjoyment.”

“Is that the key? Falling in love with a downworlder?”

“Nobody can fall in love on purpose,” Aline interrupted Alec.

He glanced at her shackled wings and she shrugged, as though she did not mind the adamas capsules on the edge of her wings. Now that Alec could take a closer look though, he noticed the brighter glow of her down feathers.

“The Seelie Queen knows about Andrew, she doesn’t care much as long as shadowhunters don’t declare war on her people again,” Eleanor took over. “That’s why we’re hiding from Valentine.”

“I don’t want to fight downworlders,” Alec breathed out.

“Then don’t follow through with whatever Valentine has in mind. Luke’s transformation into a werewolf should help him realize that there is no point in making the same mistakes as our ancestors. If he doesn’t then...” Jia exchanged a meaningful look with her husband.

There would be no war, Alec was sure of it.

“They’re not sudden, are they? The capsules release our wings with time?” he asked Aline.

She nodded and they sat in silence, contemplating the fate of their race. Alec wondered about Magnus, who had kissed him and protected him so fiercely up in this very tower. Alec was fond of the warlock, and trusted Magnus when he said he cared for Alec just as much. What was Alec to do with such knowledge and feelings though?

Had Magnus been a shadowhunter, Alec would have gifted him wing jewelry in an attempt to court him. It was mostly a custom, as shadowhunters could no wear much jewelry with the adamas capsules…

That, gave Alec pause. Magnus could, because he was a warlock, and did in fact, wear jewelry. As it happened, Alec knew of a pendant they both liked. He stood up abruptly, thanking the Blackthorns and Penhallows for their time, and rushed to the marketplace.

The vendor, a faerie with wide, luna moth wings, gave Alec an odd look as he chose the bronze pendant. It was beautiful, intricate p and m interwoven, that reminded Alec of long lost runes. Alec ignored the faerie as he wrote a note to go with the delivery, wings twitching nervously on his back.


	23. Wing jewelry

Alec and Magnus met at Lake Lyn. The warlock came flying, golden wings like moon crescents in the sky, and landed heavily on all fours in the lush green grass. Alec stepped forward and offered Magnus his hand to help him up, giving a bashful smile when Magnus blinked in surprise, cat-eyes blown wide.

“Sorry, I should have chosen a better place. You wouldn’t have to dirty your clothes.”

Magnus took Alec’s hand to stand up, speechless. He produced the jewelry box that Alec had sent to the top of the Lightwood tower, opening it to reveal the pendant. Alec’s breath caught in his throat as for a moment, he believed Magnus would turn him down.

“I accept your gift, Alexander,” Magnus said smoothly. “Put it on for me?”

Alec’s sigh of relief turned into a gasp and he took the box pendant with trembling hands. While their wings had brushed more than once by now, touching Magnus’ golden wings with bare-hands was intimidating. Alec reached out carefully, following the warlock’s instructions, and slid the pendant among the other piercings, near the middle of the wing. 

It dangled gently and caught onto the light, shining brightly.

The wings were strong beneath his fingers, the membrane smooth and Magnus shivered as Alec trailed his hand down the expanse of the dragon-like wings. Alec stepped back, admiring the beautiful shine of gold, jewelry glinting on Magnus’ wings. 

For once, Alec’s own black and blue wings did not feel so heavy and he smiled to Magnus without a care in the world. There was nothing to worry about, and Magnus looked happy. The warlock stepped closer, glowing with the light of the sun behind him, and cupped Alec’s cheek.

Alec leaned in for a kiss, melting into the slow drag of Magnus’ lips over his. 

He momentarily forgot about the six wings on his back, embracing Magnus instead. Their wings brushed, Magnus’ golden ones against the pair on Alec’s shoulder blades. Alec shivered, nuzzling closer to the warlock and tentatively reached to wrap his lower pair of wings around the warlock’s waist and tangle his fingers in Magnus’ hair.

Magnus pecked him on the lips once more, and the pair of wings on Alec’s neck fluttered in delight, catching the light. The adamas capsules gave way, heavy but much more comfortable and Magnus glanced at them curiously.

“I wish,” Magnus whispered, and Alec ached to tell him the truth.

“There are people I want you to meet,” Alec said instead.

It was for the best. Shadowhunter and downworlder cooperation was long overdue. Magnus had to know about the Blackthorns and hopefully, they could thwart Valentine’s plan without anyone getting hurt. It was only a matter of time before shadowhunters started to mingle with downworlders more.

The Seelie Queen might be wary of another uprising, but Alec believed that the only way to keep such a thing from happening was to stand together. There would be no war, and shadowhunters’ wings could break free.


	24. First flight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I did it! Bingo :D Thank you so much for your support guys ♥ I'm glad you enjoyed these short chapters that hardly do justice to the world building I had going on behind the scenes. I got lost in it, but I'm proud to say I managed to make a fic out of it. I'll be happy to reply to any questions you might have (this story is not immune to plot holes), enjoy the last chapter.

Alec toyed with the golden and green feathers weaved into his own, freed wings. 

He drew comfort from his bond with Jace. The shadowhunters brigade had a lot to learn still, but working in tandem with his childhood best friend made Alec’s days brighter.

He hated dragging renegade Nephilims to the Seelie Court for trials, Valentine’s being the most infamous, but this was the only way for the penalty to be fair. The Seelie Queen had decided against shacking shadowhunters when they turned five and instead, used the adamas capsules as a penalty for breaking the law.

“Ready?” Magnus asked next to him.

Alec glanced down, Alicante spread out beneath and Lake Lyn gleaming in the distance. Tendrils of humidity drifted past the granite towers, thin clouds Alec worried about.

“I’ll be there,” Magnus breathed out, squeezing his hand.

Alec flapped his wings, stretching the three pairs on his back. Jewelry glinted among the black and blue feathers, gifts from the warlock. Their wings brushed briefly, Magnus’ stark gold against Alec’s smooth feathers. He brought Magnus’ hand to his face, pressing a kiss to the warlock’s knuckles. 

There was nothing to fear, and first flights were celebrated.

Alec let go of Magnus’ hand, breathed in deeply, and stepped off the edge. He could barely feel his wings, yet he soared over Alicante. The flowerbeds drew ancient runes in bright colors and the icy wind brought tears to Alec’s eyes as he flew past the Imperishable Fields. He veered towards Lake Lyn, catching sight of Magnus near him.

The warlock grinned, and tackled him with a laugh. They went tumbling into the lake in a heap of feathers. Alec swallowed a mouthful of water, coughing as he came up for air. He swatted Magnus, sending water all around, and couldn’t help but laugh too.

“I did it!”

Magnus moved closer, wings glinting like sunshine underwater and Alec dipped his head for a kiss, thankful for his mate. The Seelie Queen would never have given shadowhunters a chance without the warlocks’ unwavering support when Alec, Jia and the Blackthorn came forward with freshly crafted Accords.

Somewhen along the way, the adamas capsules on Alec’s wings had fallen off.

Alec expected it, of course, yet he had been taken aback by the sudden lack of weight, the new range of motion. Magnus had been adamant that Alec try to fly, but Alec had been afraid. He feared the fall, and feared his wings had been permanently damaged by the capsules.

Few shadowhunters had freed their wings, and Aline in particular was a sight to behold in the sky. Alec would have to fly with her now, and learn from her first-hand instead of the several conversations they had to assuage his fears before.

He couldn’t wait.

For now, Alec would spend the night at Lake Lyn, sharing a hammock with Magnus as they waited for their wings to dry. They would fly back to Alicante in the morning, and resume planning their wedding.

**Author's Note:**

>  **I take prompts!** Follow me [on tumblr](https://myulalie.tumblr.com/post/637141364802469888/string-of-pearls-and-prompts) and get in touch, my ask box is open ♥
> 
>  **On feedback:**  
>  “<3” as extra kudos are fine by me. Short comments give me just as much of an adrenaline rush as longer comments because my email notifications don’t discriminate! I give as long as I get (*coughs* read: I reply at length) so you decide if we’re having a quickie in the comments or if you’re taking me out on a date to have an actual conversation ;)
> 
>  _Constructive criticism is welcome_. Please bear in mind that while I will take it into account, I will not rewrite a story that has already been published. I’d rather incorporate relevant feedback (read: concrete examples and suggestions as to how to address the element in question) into a new work and write a different take on the same plot! Once again, I give as good as I get ;)
> 
>  _You are not, by any means, required to comment if you don’t want to_. I will publish every chapter of a complete story no matter the response to it. Find some more thoughts and tips on commenting [on my tumblr](https://myulalie.tumblr.com/tagged/commenting), I make moodboards for my fics too, if you want to follow me :D Happy reading ♥


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